When We Were Young
by Nights of Despair
Summary: ONE-SHOT! Girls were icky. Why in the world would anyone like a girl? Girls have cooties - everybody knows that.


**A/N: Random little one-shot I wrote half out of boredom, half because I owe my readers from my previous story at least something else to read...Heh...  
>I promise that I'll try a bit harder to write something every once in a while whenever I get a bit of free time...Uh, hopefully...<strong>

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of FullMetal Alchemist, nor am I making any money off of this. (Thus you have no reason to sue me) n.n;;;**

**Enjoy~!**

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><p>Girls were icky. Why in the world would anyone like a<em> girl<em>? The only girl Edward Elric liked, even loved, was his mother, Trisha. But that was was fine with Ed. He didn't like girls. Girls have cooties - _everybody_ knows that.

Edward grinned internally. Of course he would never show it on his face how much he secretly loved outstaging his little brother Alphonse. The pretty little silver and blue flower sat delicately in his outstretched hands. Next to him, Alphonse outstretched his arms as well, showing off an array of silver and blue...mush.

"So pretty," Trisha smiled. Her brown hair fell in a wave over her shoulder as she carefully picked up the jumble of silver and blue from Alphonse's hands.

"I'm not as good as brother, though...Mine sucks." Alphonse muttered glancing sheepishly over at Edward. Edward hid another grin, and instead gave Al a sympathic smile,

"It just takes practice."

"Well, I think they're both absolutely lovely," Trisha said in a very motherly script. Edward couldn't refrain a smug grin. Only a mother would say such a thing about whatever it was that their child had presented them. Only if it was homemade. Non-homemade things, like frogs and snakes, didn't tend to cause the same reaction for some reason. "C'mon, now," Trisha smiled, picking up her basket of white sheets and blankets, "I'm leaving you boys off at Grandma Rockbell's so I can run to town."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"But I don't wanna play with_ her_!" Edward snorted, making the disgust in his voice as apparent as he could make it. His nose scrunched up as he made a face.

"I'm not asking you to play with her, just to stay here within Grandma Rockbell's sights, okay?" Trisha responded. The rain had begun to fall lightly within the past couple hours. It was drizzling outside, and the sun had decided to hide behind a mass of gray clouds. The first day of Spring brought a sense of dread as Edward watched his mother thank the short gray haired woman for taking the time of her day to look after her children, turn and walk down the road to town. Edward crossed his arms and frowned deeply.

"Don't scowl like that!" Edward jumped. Grandma Rockbell stood behind him, her manner simular to Ed's as she snapped at him, "Your face will freeze like that, you know?"

Edward scoffed, "Nu-uh. It hasn't been proven. And even if it had, then I've never heard of it. It sounds stupid." The frown returned to his face as Edward glanced back out the window.

Taking a deep breath of air, the short woman opened her mouth but as she was about to speak, the air wooshed out in a strangled sigh of defeat. "I don't know why I bother with you, boy. Can't be like a normal kid can you?" She muttered as she half limped away. But Edward still heard her and made a face as Grandma Rockbell turned to the kitchen. At the last possible second, she turned on her heel and caught Edward with his tongue stuck out and his finger pulling down his bottom eyelid. Edward changed his face immediately to shock, embarassment and finally back to his scowl. Grandma Rockbell mimicked Ed's scowl, but as she proceeded back to the kitchen a slow smile reached her face. Lots of vegetables and a tall glass of milk for lunch would suffice as revenge.

Not a minute later: "Brother? Come and play with us." Alphonse said, a toy train in his hand. Behind him a blonde haired girl held up a stuffed rabbit. Edward frowned at her,

"I'll play with you Al, but _she's_ a _girl_."

"W-Why won't you play with us both?" Alphonse asked, confusion on his face.

"Geez, Al. Girls have _cooties_! You can't play with them or you'll get cooties too." Said Edward, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Alphonse looked back at him in confusion.

"Cooties? Like, bugs?"

"Yeah, it's a disease that you get from girls."

All the while Winry stood back, clutching the stuffed rabbit to her chest and watched the two brothers argue.

"You're too young to know what cooties are, Al, so of course you don't know what they are. They're contagious."

Al didn't seem very concerned. At the least he appeared confused. "I don't remember reading about them in the books about diseases and stuff. Isn't there some sort of anti-cootie thing? Like an opposite force to cancel it or something?" By now, slight concern reached Al's eyes as he thoroughly believed his older brother's words as they began to sink in.

Edward paused, glaring at Winry who raised her chin in opposition. What was it those boys in town had said? Something about crossing your fingers, maybe? Edward held out his hands, crossed his fingers, and announced boldly, "Cooties begone!" He turned to Alphonse abruptly, "Do it quick or else you'll be infected too."

Al nodded and crossed his fingers, echoing Ed's words.

Winry remained quiet as she silently patted her stuffed rabbit on it's head her nose crinkled in slight annoyance being treated as such.

"There. Cootie free." Alphonse said, tucking the toy train he had forgotten, back under his arm, "Can we go play now?"

Edward glared at Winry, but felt his glare weaken considerably as Winry gave him a blank stare. "Yeah."

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"You'd never believe it, Trisha," Grandma Rockbell smirked, her hands dusted with flour, "Ed finally gave in and they all played well together."

Trisha smiled lightly, "Ed just needed to grow up a little, that was all. I honestly forget which one of them is older..." She paused, "Or at least more mature."

At the same time the three children rounded into the kitchen, grins on their faces. "Welcome back, Mother!" Alphonse announced, detouring from his path to hug Trisha. Trisha laughed as Ed ran for a hug as well.

"So?" Trisha asked, glancing down at Edward, "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Girls were icky. But some girls were okay. _Sort of_. Edward smirked to himself, as she handed Winry back her toys, his fingers crossed behind his back.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Ah, the earlier days when we were young..." Edward mumbled.

Winry turned around, grease slicked over her face, a wrench in one hand and an automail limb in the other, "Did you say something?"

Ed shook his head, "Nope."

"Will you pass me that screwdriver over there, please?"

Edward reached forward, grabbing the said appliance and caught sight of a stuffed rabbit and a toy train in the corner of the room, a smile smile spread across his face. As he passed Winry the screwdriver he crossed his fingers behind his back.

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><p><strong>AN: Yeah, it was a flashback...hence the title for anyone who didn't bother reading it...  
>Anyways, I know it was short - but I intend on writing fanfics for other animemanga whenever I get around to it so don't worry, it's not all gonna be FMA (or is it?) *DUH DUH DUUUMMM***

**PS. No offense to any cootie-ridden females (I, myself am female, so don't claim it as biased or stereotypical or sexist whatever else you think it may be). Haha...don't kill me. n_n;;;**

**~Days of Despair**


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